To Right A Wrong
by Shadows-Dancing-In-The-Hall
Summary: And here at the end, he could finally do something right. One Shot! My take on Itachi's death. Much better than the summary says.  NOT YAOI!


**Okie dokie. So this is just my take on Itachi's death. Which made me CRY by the way! Dx But anyways this was just some random thing i wrote during school but i like it and i hope you do too! :D**

**And if you like this one, i also wrote one where Sasuke dies so just go to my profile and check that out too :)**

**Review please! Cookies appear!**

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**To Right a Wrong**

Black fire rose up around him, licking up into the grey dismal sky, tendrils of black shadows, a foreboding omen of his future. Or lack thereof in his case.

Everything was so cold. So sharp. So painful. But so dim and fading. It was no surprise though. His world had been fading for years. Slowly, with each blink of his eyes, his universe had been descending into darkness, into vagueness, into oblivion. Now, all that he could see were smudged blurs, splashes of muted green, graying blue, and searing red that enveloped him in a transparent mist. Red like blood, his own blood this time; that tainted poison running through his veins and that was now trying to escape. That metallic sting coating his tongue and throat, tasting of sin and never ending guilt.

It did not matter though. Pain and sin and guilt had been apart of his life since he was a child of four. He knew the sensation well, for it _had_ become _one_ sensation; pain, sin and guilt, guilt, pain and sin. Never one without the other. It was like an old friend and so, he embraced it. Pulled it inside of him. Swallowed it down and held it in his heart, with all the years of memories and brethren feelings that had accumulated there.

But, all that mattered now, all that he had left to do, was to reach **him. **

To reach Sasuke.

That name, the name of the one he sacrificed everything for, burned through him, a lightening bolt that shot through his heart, searing the long shattered object. But he welcomed it. Enveloped the name like his pain and guilt and sin. Because that's what Sasuke had become. Pain and guilt and sin brought to life. Ever since his otouto had been born, he had strove to protect the younger, to make him safe, and happy. To see that laugh and smile he tried to hide from the world. That was his job, his duty, and unlike the duty he had to the village, this one he looked forward to, this one he loved. This job was perfect, maybe not easy, definitely not easy, but perfect in that he loved his brother wholly and absolutely and Sasuke loved him.

Or had once. When Itachi was _perfect. _

Perfect. That word. That cursed title, the burden that Itachi had carried since birth, the burden that had marked him, that had burned him.

They all said he was, _perfect, precise, prodigy, _butItachi knew different. He had never been perfect. Just pretended to be for the sake of his father, for the sake of his clan. In truth, he had never done a single thing right.

No. He wasn't perfect. A perfect person wouldn't feel as if some of them deserved to die. Yes, it had hurt, it had _destroyed and crushed and mangled,_ him to kill his mother but the rest? The not so innocent? The _guilty? _He wish they could have had justice brought upon them. How dare they try something so bold? So drastic? So inanely stupid? They were dead yes, but seen as a tragedy not as a disgrace. Instead, Itachi was the disgraced. The disgusting discarded.

The damned.

No. He was far from perfect.

But maybe…just one last time…he could help his brother. Do something right. Make him smile once more instead of pushing him farther and farther, forcing him to be stronger and stronger, making him struggle harder and harder. Give the only one he had left in this world the chance of a life he had never had. Never had the chance to obtain.

Yes…he would try. Try for his brother's future even if he himself had none.

But now, everything was getting so much harder. Each step was a mile, each breath a serrated knife. Was he even getting closer? His otouto seemed to far away, the distance stretched far between them, like a swallowing abyss.

No wait…he _was _getting closer. Inch by inch, step by step, Sasuke was drawing closer, not so blurry, not so foreign, not that hard to reach.

But as Itachi drew closer, with each step came a memory. Memories of smiles and laughs and of _please aniki train me!_ How he had treasured those moments these past years in the dark reaches of night when nightmare kept his eyes wide open. How he had relished and basked in the past that would never again be.

Left foot. _Sasuke wailing as a baby. Loving murmurs to the new born child. _

Right foot. _Sasuke grinning at him, his smile wide and infections as he said welcome home. _

Left. _Sasuke's sprained ankle as he strove to impress him. _

Right. _Sasuke's first fire jutsu._

Left foot. _Sasuke pouting as he was once again overlooked by their father._

Right foot. _Sasuke giggling as they played hide and go seek._

His strength was failing him now, each step taking longer, his breath that much shallower as he slowly gave in to his disease, drowning in his own viscous fluids. But it was ok. Because he had fought for _so long_. He just wanted to _rest_. So tired and so weary, bone deep exhausted. Could he just stop here? He had done so much. Could he rest now? Just this once? To stop running, stop fighting, stop _surviving. _Hadn't he sacrificed enough? But…no he wanted…_needed_ to reach Sasuke. To just feel him and be near him one last time.

He was so close now. So close. Just feet away.

Left. _The death of the clan. __Sasuke's face of betrayal._

Right. _Sasuke's face of hatred as lightening rained down from the heavens, God's long over due retribution._

Now he was an arms length away. Words that he had wanted to say for nearly a decade now rushed towards his lips, attempting to bubble forth with the now steady stream of gushing blood. Words of explanation, of apology, of love and of sorrow. Of crushing guilt over Sasuke's suffering over the years. But…he couldn't say them. Wouldn't.

For the sake of his brother he would trade his otouto's love for his hatred and honor for disgrace.

For Sasuke, he would go to hell with all the condemnation he so rightly deserved.

So, he said the only thing he could say, the only thing that he could think of. With the last bit of strength he smiled softly, the motion so foreign now, and pushed the long since spoken words off his tongue, lifting his hand in an almost forgotten gesture; a sentiment from another time, in a world far from this one.

"Forgive me Sasuke. There will be not be a next time."

Those eyes, so like his own, widened as fingers met flesh in a tender tap and as Itachi stared into his brother's dark eyes, he couldn't help but feel content for the first time in over a decade.

_"You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me. That's what big brothers are for."_

That had never been more true. In order to protect the one he loved, he had pushed himself past the the edge, into the chasm of sin and depravity. Itachi had become the obstacle that Sasuke needed to breach. And now his otouto had done just that. Sasuke had overcome him. Overshadowed him. Made him _proud. _

Itachi's job was finally done. After all these years, all the guilt and pain and self loathing, Itachi could finally just _give up. _

And now, his beloved otouto would leave him in the past. In memories that would fade with time. He would move on with his life. Re-build their clan and live a happy life with a woman that made him smile and laugh. He would become surrounded by friends, almost family, and be _home_.

So, as Sasuke's black eyes widened to swallow him whole, casting him into hell, into oblivion, Itachi couldn't help but think that maybe, _just maybe_, he had _finally_ done something right.

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**Sooooo? :) How was it? Tell me what you think! Please! This is my second one shot and i need feed back! :)**

**Again i would like to say that if you like this one shot, i wrote another one (again during school XD) depicting Naruto and Sasuke's final battle. In which Sasuke dies! Just a little heads up. ^.^ But please check it out cuz i need feedback on that one. :)**


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